Mitch McConnell support weak in poll

Fewer than one in five Kentucky voters are firmly committed to vote for Mitch McConnell next year, according to a poll released Monday afternoon by the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Only 17 percent polled said they plan to support the Senate minority leader’s bid for a sixth term. One in three respondents said they plan to vote against, and 44 percent said they will wait to see who is running against him.

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The poll found just 34 percent of Republicans plan to support him against any potential opponent, and 51 percent of Democrats said they will definitely vote against him.

McConnell’s team noted that he does much better when paired against specific opponents.

“Anyone with a kindergarten level of education in polling knows that asking voters to support an incumbent ‘no matter who runs against him’ is guaranteed to produce the most skewed number possible,” said campaign manager Jesse Benton. “This poll is nothing more than an irresponsible way to stir up cheap headlines.”

“McConnell is a walking, talking caricature of everything that is wrong with Washington and Kentuckians of all stripes are tired of his nasty brand of politics,” said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Matt Canter.

POLITICO reported Monday that top Democratic donors, local liberal activists and a left-leaning super PAC in Kentucky are telling tea partiers that they are poised to throw financial and organizational support behind a right-wing candidate if one emerges.

The Courier-Journal said 609 registered voters were polled, and the margin of error is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.